From January 2004 100 Very Best Restaurants

Chef Francesco Ricchi's neighborhood Italian restaurant attracts a mix of local regulars and business travelers lured by Ricchi's earthy Tuscan cooking and the restaurant's moderate prices. Ricchi, whose family owned a restaurant near Florence, opened I Ricchi in 1989; an early visit from the first President Bush put the restaurant on the map.

At Etrusco, the Tuscan ribbolita, a hearty bread soup, is always a good way to begin a meal, as is the spiedino misto, crisply fried calamari and zucchini. Depending on your appetite, you might go on to a half order of pasta--maybe Ricchi's pappardelle with a rich duck ragoût or the pasta alla chittara with a shellfish sauce. Main-course choices include a meltingly tender osso bucco, beautifully grilled pork chops, or an involtini of veal with fontina cheese and mushrooms.